In the early hours of a quiet Lakeba morning, the people of Lau witnessed a moment that would echo through Fijian history.
As recorded by The Fiji Times journalist Stan Ritova just days after the event, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara — already a towering political figure — completed the sacred rituals confirming his installation as Sau-ni-Vanua, the Overlord of Lau.
The final act was deeply rooted in tradition: an all-night vigil inside the chiefly house of Vatuwaga.
Ratu Mara remained awake through the darkness, watched over by three heralds who ensured that the masi armlets tied to his arms during the installation were not disturbed.
According to custom, the vigil should have lasted four nights. But the soon-to-be statesman, already known for his clarity of purpose, requested it be shortened.
“One night is enough,” he is reported to have said.
At 4am, the women of Vuanirewa performed a meke to keep him alert, their chants and movements weaving through the still air.
Soon after, a rare Tongan-style yaqona ceremony was conducted — a rite reserved for those bearing the title Sau.
As dawn approached, warriors lifted Ratu Mara onto a ceremonial litter and carried him down to the beach.
There, the masi armlets — symbols of chiefly responsibility were gently removed by his heralds, Tui Tubou Mikaele Tuitoga and Ramasi Mai Nasaqalau, Manasa Veisikiyaki.
Though they had arrived too late for the Thursday installation, the people of Moce played a leading role in the beachside rites, fulfilling their duty in honouring the new chief.
The moment marked the culmination of a deeply spiritual journey — a man stepping fully into his ancestral mantle.
Ratu Sir Kamisese was to rest briefly before sailing aboard the Komaiwai with Adi Lady Lala Mara to Somosomo, Taveuni, where they would attend ceremonies to lift the mourning for the late Tui Cakau, Ratu Josefa Lalabalavu.
